GRANBY, Colo. - A muffler shop owner who plowed a makeshift armored bulldozer
into several buildings after a dispute with city officials was found dead of
an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after a SWAT team cut their way into
the machine with a blowtorch early today, authorities said.

Grand County Emergency Management Director Jim Holahan confirmed that the
driver, identified by the town manager as Marvin Heemeyer, appeared to have
shot himself. Heemeyer plowed the armor-plated bulldozer into the town hall,
a former mayor's home and at least five other buildings Friday before the machine
ground to a halt in the wreckage of a warehouse. City officials said he was
angry over a zoning dispute and fines from city code violations at his business.

Damage to Granby City Hall and Police Vehicles

Authorities detonated three explosions and fired at least
200 rounds against the heavy steel plates welded to the bulldozer, which looked
like an upside down Dumpster. After the third explosion failed, officials cut
their way in with a blowtorch, Holahan said.

A statement from Grand County Undersheriff Glen Trainor said the driver was
found around 2 a.m. Holahan said Heemeyer was armed with a .50-caliber weapon
but appeared to be deliberately avoiding injuring anyone during the rampage,
which began Friday at about 3 p.m. No other injuries were reported. Trainor
said the dozer's armor plates consisted of two sheets of half-inch steel with
a layer of concrete between them. Investigators searched the garage where they
believe Heemeyer built the vehicle and found cement, armor, steel and a homemade
crane.

Residents of this mountain tourist town of 2,200 described a bizarre scene
as the bulldozer slowly crashed through buildings, trees and lampposts, with
dozens of officers walking ahead or behind it, firing into the machine and
shouting at townspeople to flee.

``It looked like a futuristic tank,'' said Rod Moore, who watched the dozer
rumble past within 15 feet of his auto garage and towing company.

One officer, later identified as Trainor, was perched on top, firing shot
after shot into the top and once dropping an explosive down the exhaust pipe.

``He just kept shooting,'' Moore said. ``The dozer was still
going. He threw what looked like a flash-bang down the exhaust. It didn't
do a thing.''

A flash-bang produces a blinding flash and earsplitting boom designed to
stun a suspect.

``Gunfire was just ringing out everywhere,'' said Sandra Tucker, who saw
the bulldozer begin the rampage from her office on Main Street. ``It sounded
to me like an automatic rifle, firing about every second.''

At least 40 deputies, Colorado State Patrol officers, federal park and forest
rangers and a SWAT team from nearby Jefferson County were at the scene.

Town manager Tom Hale said Heemeyer was angry after losing a zoning dispute
that allowed a cement plant to be built near his muffler shop. Heemeyer also
was fined $2,500 in a separate case for not having a septic tank and for other
city code violations at his business, Hale said.

When he paid the fine, he enclosed a note with his check saying ``Cowards,''
Hale said.

``We felt he was venting his frustration that he didn't get his way,'' Hale
said of the note. ``We didn't think he was going to do something like this.''

Trainor said he believes Heemeyer spent months armoring the bulldozer, and
investigators were looking into whether he had help.

Hale said owners of all the buildings that were damaged had some connection
to Heemeyer's disputes. The buildings included the cement plant, a utility
company, a bank, a newspaper office, a hardware store and warehouse, the home
of former Mayor L.R. ``Dick'' Thompson and the municipal building, which also
housed a library.

BANK

NEWSPAPER OFFICE

GAMBLES HARDWARE STORE

SERVICE TRUCK

Crumpled patrol cars and service trucks lay in the dozer's path. A pickup
was folded nearly in half and had been rammed through the wall of a building.

REMAINS OF FORMER MAYOR'S HOME

Gov. Bill Owens traveled Friday night to Granby, about 50 miles west of Denver
and 10 miles south of Rocky Mountain National Park.

State aid will be available to help rebuild local government buildings, and
state officials will help businesses seek federal help, said Mike Beasley,
director of the state Department of Local Affairs.

TRUCK SHOVED INTO FRONT OF BUSINESS

William Hertel, owner of High Altitude Audio, said the bulldozer drove by
his business at mid-afternoon, crushing aspen trees and light poles after the
rampage began around 3 p.m.

``I was up on the roof when he came by. I got down and got my wife and
kids out of the back of the building,'' Hertel said. He said he had heard numerous
shots.